When was the defiance campaign

The Defiance of Unjust Laws campaign had not been successful and the further movement against apartheid would go on for several more decades.

Time period. View On Map. PCS Tags. Jump to case narrative Expand all details. Methods in 1st segment. Assemblies of protest or support. Civil disobedience of "illegitimate" laws. Methods in 2nd segment. Public speeches. Protest meetings. Methods in 3rd segment. Rent withholding. Methods in 4th segment.

Prayer and worship. Protest strike. Methods in 5th segment. Methods in 6th segment. Additional methods Timing Unknown. Destruction of own property. Symbolic lights.

Student strike. Boycott of government employment and positions. Segment Length. Leaders, partners, allies, elites. External allies. Methodists Oct. Involvement of social elites.

Opponent, Opponent Responses, and Violence. Nonviolent responses of opponent. Campaigner violence. Repressive Violence. The South African government used their police force to unleash violence on the resisters. Police often were very rough with resisters during arrests and once they were in prison violence was used to punish the demonstrators. Police would fire into crowds to deal with riots, killing and injuring many. Group characterization. Groups in 1st Segment. Audio Interviews "They walked through the streets highly disciplined, not causing any problems whatsoever to anyone, and were all immediately arrested for defying the curfew regulations.

Volunteers were jailed for failing to carry passes, violating the curfew on Africans, and entering locations and public facilities designated for one race only. In early , the government imposing stiff penalties for protesting discriminatory laws, including heavy fines and prison sentences of up to five years. It then enacted the Public Safety Act, allowing declaration of a State of Emergency to override existing laws and oversight by courts.

All were charged under the Suppression of Communism Act with promoting communism but were released on bail. Four years later, some of the accused were to be arrested on charges of high treason and tried under an indictment covering a period that began on 1 October On 2 December , all 20 were found guilty of "statutory communism" and sentenced to nine month's imprisonment with hard labour, but this was suspended for two years.

In Port Elizabeth 15 leaders were also found guilty and sentenced in for nine months, suspended for three years. Although the campaign did not achieve the desired aim of overturning the apartheid laws, it was successful in a number of other respects.

The resistance won United Nations recognition that the South African racial policy was an international issue and a UN Commission was established to investigate the situation. During the campaign more than 8 people went to jail for defying apartheid laws and regulations and the ANC's membership rose by tens of thousands. These years were crucial as the Defiance Campaign saw the movement of the ANC from moderation to militancy. The campaign also demonstrated the potential power of African leadership and its organisational skill and discipline.

This period marked the beginning of non-racial co-operation in the resistance to apartheid which would be furthered cemented by the formation of the Congress Alliance in in the run up to the Congress of the People. Events leading up to the Defiance Campaign D. June 26 Defiance Campaign launched After the successes of 6 April the date for the start of the Defiance Campaign was set for 26 June Volunteers signed the following pledge: I , the undersigned, Volunteer of the National Volunteer Corps, do hereby solemnly pledge and bind myself to serve my country and my people in accordance with the directives of the National Volunteer Corps and to participate fully and without reservations to the best of my ability in the Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws.

I shall obey the orders of my leader under whom I shall be placed and strictly abide by the rules and regulations of the National Volunteer Corps framed from time to time. It shall be my duty to keep myself physically, mentally and morally fit.

Reaction and significance Although the offences and penalties were minor, the government still became concerned and reacted with the arrest of national leaders of the campaign in Johannesburg and the Eastern Cape. Houser Document Defiance Campaign